


fig. 2012

by pagdiwa (neko11lover)



Series: Cat's Cradle [3]
Category: Mamamoo
Genre: (It may or may not be requited), Canon Compliant, F/F, Fluff, Gen, Trainee Era, Wheein and Hyejin are best friends, Wheein has a crush on Yongsun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 12:09:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22718854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neko11lover/pseuds/pagdiwa
Summary: Hyejin watches as Wheein learns how to babytalk. Among other things.
Relationships: Ahn Hyejin | Hwasa & Jung Wheein, Jung Wheein/Kim Yongsun | Solar
Series: Cat's Cradle [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1630165
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9
Collections: BBBFest Debut Round: The Bittersweet Option





	fig. 2012

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [Bleak Boyband Bingo Fest](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/bbb_01/profile) squares: babytalk; picking up each other’s mannerisms
> 
> Content warnings expanded: heavy references to but no direct narration regarding "family member passing" as well as Wheein’s father; please do not read if uncomfortable with that
> 
> White it references certain real events, there is no intent to pass this fic off as fact or speculation about actual real life events. That said, please expect a lot of modifications to the real predebut timeline.

It strikes Hyejin as odd when she hears Wheein count through their cooldown in babytalk, but she doesn’t think much of it. After all, so much has happened since they came to Seoul and it isn’t like she hasn’t changed either. 

“What~?” Wheein asks with a pout, as if reinforcing the strangeness of it all. They’re stretching, with Hyejin pushing Wheein down. “You’re smiling.”

“Just thinking.”

“About what?”

“That you aren’t a moody kitten anymore. You’re a cute Jindo now.”

“Yah, I just got goosebumps!” Wheein declares, letting go of the babytalk immediately. She sits up straight and hits Hyejin’s arm. “Stop!”

“Yah,” Yongsun calls out from the other side. “Less flirting, more stretching! Hurry up so we can eat already! Ow—” Yongsun separates from Byulyi who had elbowed her playfully on the side. Yongsun retaliates by giving her a light kick. The two begin a scuffle ending with Byulyi’s head caught in the crook of Yongsun’s arm, and Sujeong and Yein laughing at the two.

Hyejin frowns, about to call out the hypocrisy but stops when Wheein starts giggling softly.

_ So strange_, she thinks. 

Afterwards, the six girls share two large pots of army stew. This particular restaurant isn’t good, but it’s filling and cheap and they all eat with gusto. They talk about renting a place nearby so they don’t have to commute.

Wheein’s phone rings and she steps out. Hyejin follows her out with her eyes. Not a long time has passed before she comes back in a hurry. She's shaking as she puts a couple of bills on her side of the table.

“What’s wrong?” Hyejin asks, holding her forearm.

The other girls quiet down and their attentions are now turned to Wheein, who has gone pale.

“Sorry, I’ll go ahead. Later,” she says, voice soft, before shaking off Hyejin’s hand and leaving.

_Later_ was midnight, with Hyejin in bed, listening to Wheein’s breathing on the other side. It’s been only a few minutes since she’d broken the news of her grandmother's passing. She isn’t crying. 

“Still there?” Hyejin whispers.

“Yeah,” Wheein says. “I should call the company. Might miss a week. Think it’ll be okay?”

“Of course,” Hyejin says, voice suddenly loud. “It better be! Hey, don’t worry about that! I’ll deal with it.”

“Take Yongsun-unnie, too, if that happens,” Wheein says.

“Eh?”

“Just cause,” she says. “She’s good at it.”

  
  
  
  


-

The year isn’t slowing down for them, Hyejin thinks, as she waits outside the Seoul Family Court building. Yein has left. Sujeong had recently told them that she’d been scouted by a modeling company and that she was considering it seriously. Hyejin had also just co-signed a lease for a rooftop apartment with Yongsun and Byulyi. 

“Hyejin-ah!”

She looks up at the sound of her name and finds Yongsun jogging towards her.

Hyejin’s eyes widen slightly. “You’re here?”

“I got Wheein’s text,” she says, looking around. “It still isn’t finished?”

“No… and I didn’t know you were coming.”

"Right. I messaged her to ask if she was doing anything for lunch and she just told me. Seriously, I’d have been here much earlier if I knew! Look, I didn’t even do my make up yet!” Yongsun points at her eyebags before wrapping her jacket around her body. Hyejin notices that she’s lightly dressed, too.

Something almost clicks in Hyejin’s head, but she gets distracted by another thought.

“Hey, why didn’t _ I _ get that text, unnie—”

“What time do you think it’s going to be over?”

“Ah, she just casually changed the subject…”

Yongsun pouts. “Forgive unnie already~” she says, rubbing her palms together. “Pwetty pwease?”

“That’s just getting me more upset. But fine, I’ll let it go.” She glances at her watch. “I think it should be done in less than an hour. It’s pretty much decided. Wheein’s mom has a strong case.”

“I see… her mom’s really going straight back to Jeonju after?”

Hyejin nods. “She’s already been here for a week...”

Yongsun sighs, and they’re both quiet for a while.

“Hey,” Yongsun begins. “We should ask Wheein to live with us.”

“She already says she prefers staying with her aunt,” Hyejin replies. She tries to lighten her tone. “Besides, the three of us can barely fit in there!”

“You’re right,” Yongsun says, voice far off. “Shame.”

  
  
  
  


-

Life settles back into a new normal.

During their housewarming dinner, Byulyi emphasizes that she’d already seen a total of _ five _ cockroaches ever since they’ve moved in and that they’re supercockroaches because _ how the fuck could cockroaches be that big _? “Oh,” she scoffs, “you’re only laughing because you haven’t met them yet! I’m naming them after you guys! Yongsun 1, Yongsun 2—” They fail to hear the rest because Hyejin’s laughter turns to howls.

“Hey!” Yongsun protests through her mouth full of jajangmyeon. “Who’s paying for your food, huh, Moon Byulyi-ssi?”

“Yes, yes, I’m sorry, thank you, unnie…”

“Be more like our cutie here who’s never raised her tongue against me,” Yongsun says, reaching out to pat Wheein on the head. “That’s why she gets a free drink and the rest of you don’t!”

Hyejin watches as Wheein’s cheeks flush in pleasure as she grins up at Yongsun. _ Like a puppy_, she thinks.

“Of course, unnie~” Wheein babytalks, placing a yellow pickled radish on top of Yongsun’s bowl.

“Thank you, Wheeinie~” Yongsun babytalks back, pinching Wheein’s cheeks.

“Disgusting!” Hyejin and Byulyi declare together.

They settle down eventually, with her and Byulyi cleaning the table, and Yongsun and Wheein working on the dishes.

_Odd_, Hyejin thinks. And she wonders if it’s because Wheein never had an older sister before. Or anyone, for that matter, who treated her as carefully as Yongsun constantly did.

Yongsun sings as she works, and Wheein’s watching her with rapt attention as she dries the plates.

Hyejin considers for a moment if it’s something else but stops herself. She smiles as she goes back to the task at hand.

The four of them still have a lot of time to figure things out.


End file.
